Is rugby like football?

American football was derived from rugby, but there are some major differences. The most obvious differences are that (i) forward-passes and (ii) blocking of any sort is not allowed in rugby. Other differences include the lack of ‘hard’ protective equipment such as a helmet and the continuous nature of the game (the clock is always running akin to european football, aka soccer). Another importance difference is that on any given ‘play’, rugby players are concerned more about retaining ball possession than gaining yardage. Possession in rugby is not related to gaining a certain amount of yardage in a certain amount of time.

How can I play, I don’t even know the rules?

The game of rugby, although technically complicated, can be played easily by beginners. Many positions do not require a vast understanding of the game, but only require a few pratices. The fastest way to learn is to simply come out and watch and play in a few games.

Am I too big or too too small to play?

One very appealing aspect of rugby is that players of many shapes, sizes and fitness levels can play. Some positions require fast guys, some positions require heavy guys and other positions require a mix.

Will I get injured?

Rugby has a ‘reputation’ for being excessively brutal. However, this is a common myth as described by Lyle J. Micheli, MD and past president of the American College of Sports Medicine:

The main reason rugby players have a relatively low risk of injury (10%) compared to football players (52%) is paradoxical – rugby players don’t wear protective equipment. Thus the rugby player doesn’t have the same disregard for the safety of his or her head, neck, and shoulders when tackling or trying to break through a tackle. The other reason is that unlike football, rugby is a game of possession, not yardage. Consequently rugby players don’t tackle by “driving through the numbers,” as football players are taught to do with their heads when tackling a player. In rugby, players are taught to use their arms to wrap a player’s legs and let the momentum of that player cause him to go to ground. Furthermore, in rugby there is no blocking, and so players who don’t have the ball don’t get hit when they’re not expecting it. One of the reasons rugby has a reputation for being “dangerous” in the United States is because when the average American sees rugby being played, he or she sees a free-flowing contact sport. Because it doesn’t have the familiar stop-and-start character of football and other TV-shaped sports, to the uninitiated rugby can appear confusing and “scary.” Furthermore, while the bumps, bruises, and scrapes you see on the elbows, knees, and faces of many rugby players can appear alarming, they are of considerably less concern than the anterior cruciate ligament ruptures, finger fractures and dislocations, and chest contusions characteristic of a sport such as football in which heavy protective equipment is worn.